


Pain Tolerance

by botanicalTJ



Series: boys loving boys [7]
Category: The Outsiders - All Media Types
Genre: Blood, Boys In Love, Ear Piercings, Fainting, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Piercings, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Romance, darbit, period ambiguous, slight toxic masculinity, tarbit, tarry - Freeform, timbit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26872726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/botanicalTJ/pseuds/botanicalTJ
Summary: Two-Bit wants to get a piercing, and Tim doesn't see this going well at all.
Relationships: Darrel Curtis/Tim Shepard, Darrel Curtis/Two-Bit Mathews, Two-Bit Mathews/Tim Shepard
Series: boys loving boys [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796422
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Pain Tolerance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jasper_Ghost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jasper_Ghost/gifts).



> this is for my pal jasper's birthday!!! 
> 
> happy birthday, jasper :D just like two-bit, you're a good buddy to have. i'm lucky to know you.
> 
> content warnings// slight homophobia mention, slight toxic masculinity, description of getting a piercing, fainting, blood

"Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Of course." Two-Bit already had his wallet out as they walked across the parking lot, even though these places didn't make you pay until you were done. He didn't seem nervous in the slightest to be getting another hole put in his body; confidence exuded from him, a bounce in every step. "You have lots of piercings."

"I don't cry when I stub my toe," Tim answered dryly, raising a hand up to his silver-laden ear. He did have a good few pieces of jewelry attached to it, same with the other ear. But he did have a higher pain tolerance than Two-Bit, particularly when the redhead was sober. He didn't see them walking out of this shop with any new piercings on either of their bodies. However, he still walked ahead and held the door open for his boyfriend, like a gentleman. 

"I ain't gonna cry." Two-Bit walked by so quickly that Tim was met with an actual breeze. The door's bell jingled merrily, a contrast to the rock music that played over the record player. The shop was full of dudes with ripped sleeves who looked like they were born to be there. A strong contrast to Two-Bit's bright gaze and lack of tattoos anywhere on his body. Well, there was one... but Tim was certain very few people knew about it, and that much was for the best.

"'Scuse me." Tim cringed internally at the sound of that chirpy voice already at the register. He quickly followed, not wanting to have to explain to Darry why their boyfriend got his ass kicked in a tattoo parlor when Tim was right there with him. The guy at the counter eyed Two-Bit with immediate suspicion, eyes squinting, but the redhead either didn't notice or didn't care. "I'm lookin' to get one of those ear piercings up at the top. The little ring thingies."

Silence. Tim was half a second from taking Two-Bit's arm and pulling him right back out the door. The guy's expression was close to unreadable behind the scraggly, dirty beard on his face, but after a few tense moments, he finally spoke. "A helix?"

That's the one. Right?" Two-Bit looked over at Tim for confirmation, making him grit his teeth. He could feel heat rising in his cheeks just bearing witness to the interaction, let alone being dragged into it. Every moment since Two-Bit said he wanted to get this piercing done felt like a huge mistake just waiting to go wrong. If he was smart, he'd put a stop to it right there, to avoid getting chewed out by Darry but also to keep Two-Bit from embarrassing himself further. Sure, he'd look like an ass, but maybe that was the price he had to pay.

"That's the one."

"Alright..." The guy behind the counter looked down at a sheet of paper in front of him, grabbing a pen from the little cup next to the register. Two-Bit beamed at Tim's side, much too excitable for someone about to get a hole punched through his ear. Apparently the employee thought so, too, because instead of directing his words to Two-Bit, he glanced at Tim and beckoned with one hand. "Follow me on back."

"It ain't too late to change your mind," Tim sighed, but he knew it was a lost cause, because Two-Bit was following the guy to the back and of course, Tim was at his heels. Just like every stupid, spontaneous decision Two-Bit made. And yet, he still loved the hell out of him, so much he was willing to sit beside a piercing chair and watch as the employee began to swab Two-Bit's ear cartilage with an alcohol-dipped cotton ball.

"Hey..." Tim frowned suddenly, his hand reaching out. It hovered over Two-Bit's arm, not grabbing him yet but being ready in case he needed to. The redhead's mirth had dropped from his face and his cheeks were drained of their usual rosy tint, his brow creased in the middle. His eyes jerked over when Tim spoke, head stone still like it was already dangerous to move it an inch to the side. "Two, you don't _have_ to, if you're that scared—"

"I ain't scared." Two-Bit's voice contradicted any validity his statement had, cracking at the end like he was trying much too hard to keep himself steady. The employee didn't seem at all fazed by his nerves, not until he pulled out a sleeve of fresh piercing needles. Two-Bit's hand suddenly clamped down on Tim's, squeezing for dear life, and Tim didn't shake him off.

The employee, however, turned around and froze at the sight. He rolled his eyes right in front of them and began to unwrap the needles, not bothering to be gentle or steady about it. "Man up," he muttered, plenty loud enough for either of them to hear. He reached to grab Two-Bit's ear so he could line up the sharp point, but Tim couldn't fight back the anger bubbling in his belly at the comment.

"Let him be, man," he hissed, staying seated only because of the death grip Two-Bit had on his hand. He knew his own gaze was sharp, because he'd used the same expression thousands of times to get Curly to do what he was told. And his skills were apparently transferable, because the employee met his eyes for half a second and then didn't say another word. He proceeded to swab the ear again, and then, without any bells or whistles or even a verbal warning, he pushed the needle through.

All the blood in Two-Bit's head must have rushed right to that little needlepoint, because his skin went from pale to ashen, like he might throw up right there. The employee quickly swapped the needle for a fresh stud, but he didn't have the sense to keep Two-Bit from seeing the blood-soaked cotton he pulled away from his ear. "Tim..." Two-Bit croaked out, just before his eyes fluttered and Tim had to catch his unconscious body as it slumped forward in the chair. 

* * *

"What do ya think Darry's gonna say?" Twenty minutes later, Two-Bit was sipping from a cup of water in the front seat of Tim's truck, sunlight glinting off the new stud in his ear. 

"Probably gonna be mad at me for taking you," Tim chuckled, his eyes on the road but his hand on the other's knee. It was relieving when Two-Bit woke up and was back to his goofy, wisecracking self in just moments ( _"Guess my head decided to take me and him both for a spin, huh?"_ ), but that didn't mean Tim wasn't monitoring him closely. He hadn't let go of Two-Bit's hand even as they walked through the tattoo parlor and out into the parking lot, despite the stares they got for it. He glanced over and cracked a grin. "It looks nice."

"Tough enough, huh?" Two-Bit's head leaned onto his shoulder, shameless in his affections just how Tim loved. He was too damn sweet for his own good sometimes, especially with their relationship — and the worst part was, he knew it. But Tim was smitten anyways.

"Yeah, real tough." Tim took a brief moment at a stoplight to drop a kiss on top of Two-Bit's head, his eyes already back on the road. "I can't believe you went through with it. Didn't even shed a tear."

"Well..." Two-Bit pursed his lips, sitting up straight in his seat again. He was silent for a moment, prompting Tim to glance over and see him looking thoughtfully out the window. "I _did_ pass out... I think that warrants a little treat, don't you?"

"Like what?" Tim raised an eyebrow, slowing his driving just slightly. Knowing Two-Bit, he would want to turn back around and get another piercing, and a tattoo while he was at it. Hopefully something where the sun would shine, this time. 

Two-Bit shot him a wide grin, pointing out the windshield at a little stand on the side of the road just up ahead. "Ice cream?"

Tim couldn't help but match his expression. Figures. "Yeah, sure. My treat."

"Can we share a cone?"

"Yeah, but no strawberry."

"Chocolate?"

"Perfect."

**Author's Note:**

> go check out jasper's fics as well!! he writes lots of fun stuff and i've never known anyone to write a better two-bit.
> 
> thanks for reading :)


End file.
